Lucknow / Apr 19, 2021
Even as the domestic sugar sector is expecting a better sugar season amidst pandemic this year compared to 2020, the Uttar Pradesh government is nurturing a fresh breed of grassroots women entrepreneurs in the thriving sugarcane growing areas of the state.
UP and Maharashtra are the top sugarcane and sugar producing states in India, accounting for more than 50 per cent of the domestic output, which is to the tune of about 35 million tonnes (MT) annually.
Now to groom rural women entrepreneurs, the UP government is promoting women self help groups (SHG) in the sugarcane cultivation process under the flagship programme of ‘Mission Shakti’.
According to UP cane and sugar commissioner, Sanjay Bhoosreddy, the number of women SHGs in each cane development council area has now been increased from 10 to 25, while the women members in each SHG has been increased from 10 to 35.
Sharing statistics related to the ambitious programme, he said 1,964 women SHGs have been formed so far in 36 sugarcane-dominated districts in UP, wherein 41,113 women entrepreneurs have been registered.
“The women belonging to these groups have been trained by the sugarcane department to prepare the seedlings by single bud chip method,” he informed.
More than 100 million seedlings have already been prepared by these energetic SHGs, and through the sale of 90 million seedlings, they have collectively earned an income of Rs 27 crore so far.
An average income of Rs 59,000 per woman entrepreneur in a season through sugarcane nursery is expected, while about 900,000 man days of employment have been created under this programme.
Besides, workshops are also being organised under the Mission to disseminate information to rural women about employment opportunities in sugarcane farming. “With this, the spirit of entrepreneurship is being developed in women of rural areas, and they are becoming self-dependent,” he observed.
Recently RuralVoice visisted one of such SHG in Hariawan in Hardoi district of Uttar Pradesh, where DCM Sriram group has a sugar mill. Its sugarcane development deparrtment is actively encouraging women for preparing sugarcane nursery from single bud method. In picture below Rashan Lal Tamak CEO, DCM Sriram is interacting with a women self help group.
Earlier, Bhoosreddy had launched the ‘Women Employment Generation Programme’ under ‘Mission Shakti’ to facilitate self reliance and higher income of rural women and girls. The programme was launched pursuant to the directives given by UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath to take effective steps for women’s empowerment in the state.
Bhoosreddy said the immense success and popularity of the programme was evident from the fact that on the occasion of International Women’s Day function in Lucknow, two best performers of the UP sugarcane development department viz. Kusum, chairperson of Annapurna women SHG, Bareilly and Manmati, chairperson of Ma Vaishno Devi, women SHG, Ayodhya, were among the 11 women feted by CM Adityanath.
Meanwhile, 120 sugar mills in UP have produced over 10 MT of sugar in the current crushing cycle 2020-21, while 54 of these units have already concluded their operations and shut for the season.
(Virendra Singh Rawat is a Lucknow based journalist, who writes on contemporary issues of industry, economy, agriculture, infrastructure, budget etc)